Age–crime curve and criminal career patterns

Abstract

The age—crime curve is remarkably similar in shape across data source and represents the aggregate prevalence of criminal behavior. At the individual level, there is considerable variation in offending trajectories, and scholars disagree about what explains the relationship between age and crime. A host of constructs from sociology, psychology, neuroscience, and biosocial perspectives explain variance in the age—crime curve. These include personality developmental, fluctuations in neurotransmission, socioemotional functioning, various criminal career patterns, and others. This chapter summarizes research on the age—crime curve and criminal career patterns with particular focus on the important and multiple contributions of Marc Le Blanc.